Baking Tricks from the Professionals

Here are a few of our favourite baking tips and tricks that will make you seem like the best pastry chef around.

We asked our pastry chefs to reveal a few of their best baking tricks and tips to make sure you’ll never end up with a soggy bottom or burnt crust again!

Grab a bottle of wine… we won’t judge!

How many times have you gone to your drawer and realised you lent your rolling pin to Maria at work or your measuring cup (and the sugar) to Sarah next door. Well next time you get caught out remember… just grab a bottle of wine to use as your rolling pin (place some wax paper or cling film on top of your dough and roll)

365 degrees…

Invest in an over thermometer. We’ve all burnt a cake and blamed the oven but with a thermometer you’ll make sure it’s the perfect temperature and avoid disappointment.

Cream of Tartar is your new best friend

From lightest of meringues to the smoothest of sugar syrups this trusty ingredient should be kept close to hand whenever you’re baking.

Grate it till you make it

Next time you’re making pastry try freezing your butter beforehand and then grating it into the flour – this way the butter will stay cold for longer but you’ll be able to quickly mix the ingredients together.

Drop it like it’s hot

Looking to get the perfect texture in your cakes and cookies? Next time you’re baking try dropping the time filled with your mixture on the bench before putting it in the oven – this will get the air bubbles out. For cookies, we’ve found dropping the cookie tray when it comes out of the oven makes will make them settle faster.

The case of the green bananas

If your recipe calls for ripe bananas but all you have to hand a a little green, pop them in the oven for 30 minutes at 150C and they’ll be perfect!

No-one likes the sticky bandits

Next time your recipe calls for you to roll the mixture out with your hands make sure you wet them first – this way you’ll avoid ending up with more of the mixture stuck on you rather than the baking tray!

Do you have any secret baking tricks the professionals would be proud of? Tweet @createfood and let us know!

Don’t forget to enter the Create Bake Off and put some of these tips to the test